Sunday, January 04, 2009

Sad NASCAR News-The End of Petty Enterprises

Word surfaced this week that Petty Enterprises likely will merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and will close its doors in Moorseville, N.C. Gillett Evernham will absorb the legendary No. 43 Petty car and put Reed Sorenson behind the wheel in 2009.

Many experts want to blame the economy for Petty's demise, citing that this is a team that has won 10 NASCAR championships and 268 races. Economy or not, this was inevitable.

Petty Enterprises' last win came in 1999, so this team has been on a downward spiral long before the current economy tanked.

I do wonder what state this operation would be in today if Adam Petty hadn't been killed, though, in a crash while practicing for a NASCAR Busch race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2000.

The King has left the building. What was once the premier NASCAR team has faded into obscurity.